Sunday Spotlight: Congressman Justin Amash

As there are 435 members on Congress, it is understandable that not every representative makes national news. In fact, it is only the leadership team and a few fire crackers that are on the big networks. For this reason, Justin Amash is already ahead of his other colleagues. At just 35 years old, this libertarian from Michigan has slowly gained traction in the House of Representatives, and is starting to be noticed by media outlets and Americans alike. Furthermore, as he is so young compared to his colleagues, there is a lot of time left for him to really make a stamp on Congress, so we decided we’d take a closer look at Amash today in our Sunday Spotlight.

There’s obviously a love hate relationship with Amash. Karl Rove said that Amash is a “liberal Republican,” while others in the GOP establishment have said he is an asshole. There have been pictures of him walking side by side with Senator Rand Paul, and the two have very similar points of view when it comes to foreign policy and protecting the Constitution.

Amash wants to cut military spending (not your usual GOP move), and also believes that only the Congress can declare war. Like Paul, he is against the NSA and their surveillance of American citizens.

Amash stands with the GOP majority on some issues, as he is pro-life and pro-traditional marriage. Furthermore, he is against Obamacare and thinks that healthcare should not be mandatory. The young congressman believes the bill is example of huge federal overreach.

Amash is against government bailouts and stimulus packages, and instead supports a free market economy. Furthermore, he wants the government to decrease their involvement in energy issues, and believes energy production should be private, in particular when it comes to subsidies and intense regulation.

Amash is setting a different tone for GOP members in the House, as he is all about transparency, and is not afraid to break from the party system and vote for what he believes in. He posts every single vote he makes and the reason for it on his Facebook, and is not afraid to stand up for what his constituents wants. Overall, his main issues are limiting the federal government’s role in the economy, and limiting the amount of military spending. Amash is very Libertarian, and may become a cult figure such as Congressman Ron Paul. We can expect Amash to grow in media presence, as well as Libertarian support. Keep your eye out for Amash, as it seems like he won’t be going anywhere soon.